Your Homework Assignment

Overview

As the final step in your journey toward a Master of Science degree in psychology, you will complete a capstone project. In the capstone project, you will integrate the knowledge and skills you have developed in previous coursework. In the process, you will create a research proposal and professional presentation for an identified target audience. As part of the capstone project, you will also reflect on your journey through the psychology program and on how you plan to position yourself professionally.

The capstone project is divided into three components: a research proposal, a presentation, and a professional reflection. The research proposal is developed over three milestones submitted at various points throughout the course. The milestones are designed to scaffold the final project submission. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Four, and Six. The final capstone project will be submitted in Module Nine.

Your final capstone project will be assessed somewhat differently than other courses you have taken online at SNHU. The project components operate together to make up the whole capstone experience and are not assessed separately. The complete final project will be evaluated for proficiency in the course outcomes listed below.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course outcomes:

• Advocate for and extend psychology’s role and responsibility in promoting agency and the psychological well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations
• Adapt to shifting demands and ill-structured problems by critically evaluating the relevance, priority, and appropriateness of various information and potential courses of action
• Design, conduct, and evaluate research through the lens of its potential to advance knowledge in psychology as well as the psychological well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations
• Integrate psychological theories, methods, and research to generate new knowledge and promote agency and the psychological well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations
• Incorporate empathy, reflectivity, and an appreciation for collaboration and diversity of perspectives into efforts to promote agency and the psychological well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations
• Protect the integrity and professional responsibility of psychology through the demonstration of ethical comportment in all aspects of the profession

Your instructor will guide you through this process, keeping a running narrative of your strengths and weaknesses in relation to the course outcomes as you progress through the class. Your work is expected to meet the highest professional standards. You may also refer to the Final Project and Milestone Alignment Guide to see how the milestone critical elements relate to these course outcomes.

Prompt

For this capstone project, you must develop a research proposal, a presentation for a target audience, and a professional reflection. The requirements for each component of the project are described below.

The final project is meant for you to propose a hypothetical study. You are not and should not be conducting human-subject research for this project. It is not necessary for this assignment. All human-subject research requires written approval from the SNHU COCE Institutional Review Board to protect the welfare and ensure ethical treatment of the subjects.

Capstone Component 1: Research Proposal
Develop a well-organized research concept paper that lays the foundation for a solid plan to implement research on a topic you choose. Choose a relevant problem that aligns with your focus within the field of psychology and with how you plan to position yourself professionally. In your research proposal, you may choose to address either a theoretical or applied research problem.

• For a theoretical research proposal, you must identify a gap in our understanding of a psychological phenomenon. Then describe how you propose to provide an explanation of psychological phenomena and variables through research.
• For an applied research proposal, you must identify a real-world problem that directly affects the psychological well-being of individuals, communities, or organizations. Then propose an intervention to address the problem and how you will evaluate its use to solve the problem.

The following sections should be included in your research proposal:

Introduction/Problem. Describe the research problem, research questions, and target audience for the proposed study as outlined below.

• Describe the problem (theoretical or applied), the purpose of the research, and the significance of the research.
  • If your research topic is theoretical and related to a gap in knowledge, clarify what is known and where the conflict or gap in knowledge exists.
  • If you choose an applied problem, identify the issue to be addressed. Include an accurate and detailed overview of the issue.
  • Include all information you think is necessary to establish a comprehensive analysis and foundation for understanding your chosen research topic. Also, include a theoretical framework or the theory that is guiding your proposal.
• Develop well-formed research questions or a relevant intervention. Explain the significance of your topic and research or intervention within the field of psychology.
  • Describe the purpose of the proposed research and how it fits the research problem.
  • Identify assumptions and potential limitations associated with the identified problem or gap in knowledge or applied problem.
• Discuss your target audience, such as academics, mental health professionals, organizations, or others.
  • Your target audience may be:
    • A broad audience for research oriented toward contributing to theory or
    • A specific organization or community for research focused on addressing applied problems and interventions
  • Your target audience will depend on your area of study.
    • If you are on a general track in this degree program, your research concept paper might center on researching a general issue in the area of psychology.
    • If you have a concentration in child and developmental psychology, your proposed research must focus on a specific psychological need or issue surrounding children, adolescents, and/or teens.
    • If you have a concentration in industrial and organizational psychology, your proposed research must focus on factors contributing to the advancement of an organization’s performance through application of psychology.
  • Discuss why your research would be relevant for this audience.
    • Include how your research will help address understanding of a phenomenon or
    • Include how your research will help an organization address a critical problem.

Literature Review. Analyze and synthesize previous scholarly peer-reviewed findings on the theory and research related to your research question into a review of literature relevant to your research proposal as outlined below.

• Organize the literature review so it provides the following:
  • Background on your proposed research and how it fits into the field of psychology and gaps in research
    • Review the contribution of existing research and theory to your research question.
  • A logical argument for your proposed research
    • Synthesize findings from multiple sources to communicate the message you want to convey.

Research Design. Provide a detailed plan to collect and analyze data including methodology, design, data-management tools and sources of data as outlined below.

• Describe the research method or methods, design, data collection, analysis, and overall process to be used in the research study.
  • Justify your selections using logic and specific evidence.
  • Explain how your selections fit your research (questions).
  • Applied research proposals involving implementation of interventions must have a program evaluation component in the research design.
• Discuss the reliability and validity of proposed data-collection tools and measurements.

Ethical Considerations. Thoroughly explain the ethical considerations related to your research topic and proposed study.

• Address the ethical considerations associated with each of the following:
  • The problem
  • The population under study
  • The data-collection instruments and their analysis
  • Other aspects of the study with ethical ramifications
• Incorporate peer-reviewed literature and relevant codes of conduct (i.e., the American Psychological Association).

Conclusion. Summarize your study and explain why your proposed research is significant.

• Highlight the practical implications of your potential findings for your target audience(s).
• Analyze the potential contribution of your research to the field of psychology.

What to Submit

Your research proposal should be submitted as a 15- to 20-page Word document with double spacing, 12-point font, and one inch margins. It should include a title page, a table of contents, references, and (if applicable) appendices in American Psychological Association (APA) style. In the “real world,” there are usually no page-length requirements, so the given page range is a suggestion, and you should use your professional judgment regarding the length of your paper. You may include illustrations, photographs, graphs, charts, and other non-textual materials as needed to support your research concept. If you include non-text materials in your paper, format them in APA style. Refer to the module resources and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (required in previous courses) for guidance in APA style formatting.

Capstone Component 2: Presentation
Develop a presentation that articulates a convincing need for the research proposal you have developed. Refer to the Module Nine resources for additional information on how to develop an effective presentation. At a minimum, the presentation should:

• Demonstrate both your understanding of the problem you have identified and the need for the research or intervention you propose
• Follow effective presentation principles to convey information to the target audience
• Incorporate audio and visual elements
  • Recorded narration is recommended.
  • Incorporate features to make the presentation engaging and appealing to your target audience(s).
• Be an appropriate length to convey all necessary information while keeping the audience’s attention

Capstone Component 3: Professional Reflection
Reflect on the following:

• What your capstone experience was like
• The significance of the capstone in relation to your personal experience at SNHU
• Connections you see between your capstone and your academic program
• How you will apply what you have learned to your future academic and/or professional life
• Your thoughts on the value and role of psychology in the incorporation of empathy, reflectivity, and appreciation for collaboration and diversity of perspectives

Then, write a three- to five-page paper in which you discuss the following:

• The process and outcomes of this capstone project
• The experience of giving and receiving feedback from peers
• How you incorporated feedback from your instructor
• How your coursework culminated in the capstone project
• Personal strengths you identified while completing the project
• Unforeseen problems, obstacles, and surprises you encountered while completing the project, if applicable
• How the capstone project will be useful in furthering your education, or your position in the job market, or your workplace

Milestones

Milestone One: Resource Collection
In Module Two, you will collect potential peer-reviewed resources for your proposal. Summarize the literature in a three- to five-page paper. Discuss how each resource relates to your research questions or intervention you have chosen. In this paper, you may summarize each article in preparation for the synthesis you will do as part of Milestone Two. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric. If you have any questions after reading the feedback for this submission, reach out to your instructor. Remember that your instructor is a resource you should utilize throughout the course.

Milestone Two: Literature Review
In Module Four, you will write a five- to seven-page paper integrating your review of the existing research and theory and relating it to your fully developed topic. Organize your review so that it provides a logical argument for the background of your proposed research and how your research fits into the big picture. Revise your research questions and support for the basic or applied study based on feedback. Appropriately synthesize the literature into the message you want to convey. Draw from multiple sources to communicate your points. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric. If you have any questions after reading the feedback for this submission, reach out to your instructor. Remember that your instructor is a resource you should utilize throughout the course.

Milestone Three: Methodology, Design, and Data
In Module Six, you will write a five- to seven-page paper in which you describe the methodology, design, and data-management tools you plan to use in your research proposal. Include a detailed plan to collect and analyze data. Define the process from the selection of participants (and stakeholders, as applicable) through data collection to data analysis, including any limitations and assumptions. Provide a detailed plan to collect and analyze data and disseminate findings. Include all ethical considerations. Paint a picture of the entire process used to conduct the study. If your proposal involves implementation of interventions, include a program evaluation component that describes your research design. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric. If you have any questions after reading the feedback for this submission, reach out to your instructor. Remember that your instructor is a resource you should utilize throughout the course.

Capstone Project Submission: Research Proposal, Presentation, and Professional Reflection
In Module Nine, you will submit your full capstone project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be evaluated with the Final Project Rubric.

This rubric will be applied to all three final project components as a whole. No component will be assessed on its own. The Possible Indicators of Success listed under each course outcome are examples for you and the instructor of ways to demonstrate proficiency. The success indicators should be used as guides for illustrating how your capstone embodies the outcome. All outcomes are weighted equally.

Possible Indicators of Success

1. Advocate for and extend psychology’s role and responsibility in promoting agency and the psychological well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify relevant issues within his or her area of specialization?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to effectively communicate a need or gap related to well-being?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to persuasively connect possible solutions to the well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify the implications of a specific issue in relation to the psychological well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations or of a gap in our understanding of psychological phenomena?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify key stakeholders and/or users from relevant individuals, communities, and organizations?
2. Adapt to shifting demands and ill-structured problems by critically evaluating the relevance, priority, and appropriateness of various information and potential courses of action
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to persuasively argue for addressing a specific problem or gap in knowledge?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to select relevant and appropriate resources to guide efforts in addressing a specific problem or gap?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to critically assess and evaluate the extent to which the potential data are valid and reliable?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify limitations, assumptions, and biases associated with the identified problem or gap in knowledge?
3. Design, conduct, and evaluate research through the lens of its potential to advance knowledge in psychology as well as the psychological well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to develop informed research questions that have direct applications for promoting the psychological well-being of individuals, communities, or organizations?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to evaluate and synthesize existing research for the purpose of advancing knowledge in psychology?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify limitations, assumptions, and ethical considerations in existing research and the impact of that on the student’s project?
4. Integrate psychological theories, methods, and research to generate new knowledge and promote agency and the psychological well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to assess an issue or gap in knowledge by critically evaluating the relevance, priority, and appropriateness of various explanations, related information, and possible courses of action?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify and integrate relevant theories to generate new knowledge or promote agency and psychological well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to select appropriate research methods, designs, data-collection tools, and data-analysis tools?
5. Incorporate empathy, reflectivity, and an appreciation for collaboration and diversity of perspectives into efforts to promote agency and the psychological well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to offer a perspective to others in a manner that demonstrates empathy and appreciation for others’ views?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to critically reflect on and integrate the work of others (including instructor and peer feedback and published material)?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to incorporate diverse perspectives?
6. Protect the integrity and professional responsibility of psychology through the demonstration of ethical comportment in all aspects of the profession
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to assess research plans for their ethical ramifications and make resulting adjustments that maintain the integrity of the investigation and protect the psychological well-being of others?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify ethical ramifications and needs in others’ work?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to connect ethical adjustments and mitigation efforts with appropriate ethical guidelines?
   • Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify the ethical considerations associated with the individuals, communities, and organizations most likely to be affected by the identified gap or problem?